The Last Happy Day
November 22, 1963
We interrupt this program to bring you a special bulletin from ABC Radio. Here is a special bulletin from Dallas, Texas. (Reading UPI bulletin) 'THREE SHOTS WERE FIRED AT PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S MOTORCADE TODAY IN DOWNTOWN DALLAS, TEXAS.'This is ABC Radio. To repeat: In Dallas Texas, three shots were fired at President Kennedy's motorcade today, the president now making a two-day speaking tour of Texas. We're going to stand by for more details on the incident in Dallas, stay tuned to your ABC station for further details. Now we return you to your regular program.-ABC News
Al gets the call from a relative in Chicago about the bulletin. He's just finishing up the lunch hour at Arnold's. Regular customers and staff pause as a visibly shaken Al gives them the news. The music on the jukebox stops playing. Ironically, it was Robin Ward's ' "Wonderful Summer."
Howard and Marion are watching the CBS news coverage. Walter Cronkite has just given his report that the President has died. The phone rings.
"Hello, Richie? Yes, your mother and I are watching the news now...I know, son. We'll call back when we know more..." Howard hangs up the phone. "God help us all," he says. He sits back down besides Marion. "We'll be okay," he says. "We've lost Presidents before...we'll be all right." But will we really, he wonders. Or have we lost something else today, too? A sense of innocence...
Fonzie silently watches the news with Ashley. Heather is in her room, too young to watch but old enough to understand some of what's going on. "Everything's going to be different with him gone," Ashley says.
Fonzie can only nod quietly. Duck tale haircuts, rock around the clock, soda fountains and drag races; it already seems like a bygone era. Now, he thinks, nothing will ever be the same again.
THE END